Catamenial tampons and other types of absorptive media are routinely inserted into body cavities, such as a woman's vagina, to absorb menstrual fluid, blood and other kinds of body fluid. One convenient way to position such absorbent tampons into a body cavity is through the use of an applicator. Comfortable and clean insertion of the absorbent tampon are keys to repeated purchase of products using such applicators.
Tampon applicators are available in a variety of shapes and sizes with the two piece telescopically assembled design being the most prevalent. In the two piece applicator, the tampon is housed in an outer tube and is expelled into a woman's vagina by an inner member which is telescopically mounted in the outer tube and acts as a plunger. Some tampon applicators utilize a hollow tube having an open insertion end through which the tampon is always exposed while other applicators utilize a completely closed or partially closed design. A thin film membrane can cover the insertion end of an applicator to completely enclose the forward end of a tampon while folds or pleats can be used to partially enclose the forward end of a tampon and protect it from contamination. Still other applicators, especially plastic applicators, have a plurality of flexible petals formed on the forward end of the outer tube which can flex radially outward to allow the tampon to be expelled. It will be appreciated that the diameter of the applicator, the material from which it is formed, the basic configuration of the applicator, the size and shape of the tampon positioned in the applicator, as well as the ease of opening the forward end of the applicator will all influence the force required to expel the tampon therefrom. The expulsion force should be kept reasonably low to permit proper functioning of the applicator.
While many have tried to design and manufacture tampon applicators having these improved qualities, there still remains a need for a tampon applicator which is more comfortable to use. Those applicators having an open forward end tend to expose the dry absorbent fibers of the tampon to the interior walls of a woman's vagina and this can cause irritation during insertion. Commercially available plastic applicators, using a plurality of petal tips separated by slots, can sometimes pinch or cut the vaginal tissue of a woman during insertion and cause discomfort. Paper applicators having partially or fully closed tips tend to require an increased expulsion force to expel the tampon from the applicator and this can cause the applicator to deform or cause the tampon to be inserted incorrectly. Such insertion can cause discomfort to the user.
Now a tampon applicator has been invented having a soft and flexible insertion tip to facilitate placement of a catamenial tampon into a woman's vagina.